Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["S. Follette" <marketgardener@thymeforewe.com>]

This might end up on the list after the topic is done.  I'm still dealing 
with rain and high winds from the storm.  There's damage to the tower my 
wireless internet feeds from so it might be a while before this can be sent.


> Thanks for all of the replies.  I had hoped that with only 13 chickens in 
> a
> 3600 square foot garden keeping the bird in the fenced garden would work
> out.  I guess no is the answer.

With portable fencing you could keep them in a part of the garden that is 
ready to be turned under.  I let mine clean up the bolted greens then turn 
under the top two inches.  Be mindful of what you plant there in regardes of 
fresh manure.  A few chickens in a plot for a few hours aren't going to 
leave a lot of manure.  You'll know when the hens have cleaned up most of 
the plot because they'll try to escape to look for a better feeding place. 
They go back to the hen house at night.

I use runner ducks for weeding and pest control *after* the plants are 
establish and never in something like greens.  They're great in tomatoes, 
peppers and vine crops.  I have fawn and white, blues and chocolates. 
They're efficient, easy keepers that lay well and raise their own young.



> We're living on 35 acres of pinion, juniper and ponderosa forest with
> abundant wildlife.  I seriously doubt the chickens could survive without
> some sort of protection from the predators.

I use farmcollies for protection.  Scooter lives to guard the birds.  When 
he's not scanning the ground for fox and coyotes he's looking up for hawks. 
http://thymeforewe.com/farmcollie.html  At the end of the day the collies 
will round up the ducks and herd them back to the barn for the night.  They 
work my goats, chickens and turkeys too.


Robin
Thyme For Ewe Farm
www.thymeforewe.com